Nabanna Abhijan LIVE: Protesters, cops clash for hours; BJP calls for 12hr bandh tomorrow
Kolkata's iconic Howrah bridge, Fort William, and Strand Road turn into battlefields as police return protesters' stones and bricks with tear gas, water cannons
Kolkata's iconic Howrah bridge and later Strand Road and Fort William areas turned into a battlefield on Tuesday (August 27) as police resorted to lathi-charge, tear gas shells, and water cannons to prevent protesters from marching towards the state secretariat Nabanna to seek justice for a trainee doctor, who was raped and murdered at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's resignation.
The BJP has called a 12-hour Bengal Bandh on Wednesday, while the state government has asserted that there will be no bandh.
Early in the day, a multi-layered security cover was imposed in the city for the Nabanna Abhijan rally called by student organisation Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj and the Sangrami Joutha Mancha. Barricades were erected at 19 points and they were smeared with grease to prevent protesters from scaling them. However, protesters removed them by force and attempted to march on by crossing Howrah bridge.
As the police chased them away by lobbing tear gas shells, lathi-charging them, and using water cannons, the crowd of protesters moved down to Hastings area near Fort William and onward to Strand Road near Prinsep Ghat and Babu Ghat. Two police bikes were set on fire while several policemen were injured as the protesters pelted them with stones and hurled bricks at them. Police cars carrying injured personnel were also attacked.
6,000 police personnel deployed, Nabanna secured
Kolkata Police had made massive security arrangements to thwart the march of protesters to Nabanna. While barricades and containers were installed in several places, more than 6,000 police personnel were deployed across the city to handle law and order. As many as 26 Deputy Commissioners of Police were present at strategic locations of the city.
The perimeter of Nabanna was transformed into a virtual fortress with police ensuring a three-layer security arrangement. Police vehicles, drones and water cannons were kept on standby at several strategic junctions of the city.
Besides Kolkata Police and Howrah City Police, additional forces arrived to help deal with the law-and-order situation. Heavy Radio Flying Squads (HRFS), Rapid Action Force (RAF), Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) were placed at key junctions for the purpose.
Security personnel were deployed at Hastings, Furlong Gate, Strand Road, and Howrah.
Four arrested
Despite the administration's declaration of the event as “illegal”, thousands of protesters gathered in the city, only to be stopped near the barricades put up by police. The protesters chanted slogans, demanding security personnel to open the barricades and allow them to stage a “peaceful” agitation.
Police arrested four youths who were allegedly planning to orchestrate large-scale violence during the rally.
Announcing it on their official X handle, West Bengal Police said the four were “involved in a conspiracy for murder and attempted murder. They have been arrested in the interest of public safety and security, and their families have been informed.”
Referring to state BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari’s post about the youths without naming him, police also alleged that a “certain political leader” was creating a false narrative that the four students were missing.
Illegal rally: State Police
Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj is an unregistered student group, while Sangrami Joutha Mancha represents state government employees who are advocating for their Dearness Allowance (DA) to be aligned with that of Central government employees.
The state police have termed the rally "illegal" and "unauthorised", citing concerns over potential violence and public disorder.
ADG (Law and Order) Manoj Verma indicated that there was credible intelligence suggesting attempts by miscreants to incite chaos during the protest. Consequently, the government imposed prohibitory orders near Nabanna (state secretariat) under Section 163 of BNSS, restricting gatherings of five or more people.
The Trinamool Congress denounced the rally as a "conspiracy" to create public disorder, releasing videos that purportedly show BJP leaders from Ghatal, Paschim Medinipur district, planning to provoke violence. The persons shown in the videos have been detained for questioning.
Educational institutions declare holiday
In response to the anticipated disruptions, several educational institutions opted to conduct online classes or declared a holiday for Tuesday. Governor CV Ananda Bose urged the state government to refrain from using force to prevent the rally, advocating for the students' right to protest.
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Live Updates
- 27 Aug 2024 12:57 PM GMT
BJP calls bandh, stages protest outside Kolkata Police HQ
The West Bengal government has urged people not to participate in BJP’s 12-hour general strike on August 28, asserting that the administration will ensure normal life is not affected due to the bandh.
The BJP has called for a 6 am-to-6 pm general strike in West Bengal to protest against the police action on those who took part in the march to state secretariat Nabbana on Tuesday.
“The government will not allow any bandh on Wednesday. We urge people not to participate in it. All steps shall be taken to ensure that normal life is unaffected,” said Alapan Bandopadhyay, the chief advisor to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
He said transport services will remain operational, and shops, marketplaces and other business establishments have been asked to remain open.
Bandopadhyay also urged state government employees to attend office.
The ruling TMC claimed that the strike call exposed the BJP’s game plan to foment disturbances in the state exploiting people’s pain over the alleged rape and murder of a woman doctor.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said, “We have been stating from the very beginning that the Chhatra Samaj-sponsored Nabanna Abhijan had the backing of the BJP. This was apparent the way miscreants masquerading as student protestors created large-scale disturbances in the name of peaceful protests today. This was clear by the way the BJP lost no time to give call for a bandh to foment disturbances.”
He said the people of the state would foil the game plan of the BJP. To a question, Ghosh said TMC activists will work to ensure normal life but they have been asked not to resist the BJP workers.
Earlier, BJP state president and Union minister Sukanta Majumdar said: “We are forced to give the dawn-to-dusk strike call for a general strike as this autocratic regime is turning a deaf ear to the voices of people, the demand for justice for the deceased doctor sister. Instead of justice, Mamata Banerjee’s police are turning on the peace-loving people of the state, who only wanted a safe and secure environment for women.”
Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari told reporters: “The police unleashed unthinkable oppression on the peaceful student marchers to Nabanna during the day. If Mamata Banerjee’s police treat peaceful democratic protestors in this way, we will bring the entire state to a halt tomorrow.”
Listing other agitational programmes of BJP in protest against the R G Kar incident, Majumdar said instead of August 28 as announced earlier, his party will launch a sit-in at Esplanade in the heart of Kolkata on August 29.
The office of the state Women’s Commission will be gheraoed and locked from outside on August 30, while there will be a chakka jam on September 6.
Majumdar, who later led a rally to police headquarters Lalbazar to meet the Police Commissioner, was prevented by the force. He and other leaders staged a sit-in at the spot where they were stopped by the police.
“The (BJP) state president demanded unconditional release of the students who were arrested from various locations during the march to Nabanna,” a party state leader said.
“The next course of action will be decided after a response from Lalbazar,” he said.
To provide legal help to the arrested participants of Nabanna Abhijan, BJP has opened a helpline, Majumdar said.
- 27 Aug 2024 11:01 AM GMT
BJP rally heads to Kolkata Police HQ
A BJP rally is on its way to the Kolkata Police headquarters at Lalbazar even as the protesters split into two and police continue to chase them.
